Maritime History

The history of maritime endeavor is contained primarily in museums, libraries and archives around the world, many searchable on-line. In addition, there are many Internet discussion groups and list-serves, bibliographies, magazines and journals, and other collections of material culture that evoke the wide spectrum of life by and on the sea.

Libraries, Archives and Specialty Collections

Libraries and archives frequently contain maritime-related collections of rare books and manuscripts, maps and charts, portraits, letters, photographs, objects and ephemera. Additional material can also be found in local historical and genealogical societies, natural history museums, folk arts and craft collections, and science and environmental centers in coastal settings.

Ships and Boats

Maritime history is well told through the voyages of innumerable ships plying the high seas, transporting goods, people and ideas worldwide in a complex weave of successful passages through time. These ships are evident throughout the history of civilization. They evoke the triumphs and tragedies of human endeavor, the myriad individual stories that collectively proclaim human achievement.

On-line Collections and Resources

Maritime patrimony is also interpreted through collections of artifacts, models, paintings, archival materials, and ephemera, much of which is found in institutional settings. Several museums and other organizations with large, encyclopedic collections have made these resources publicly accessible through on-line search facility and thematic bibliographies.